A Misjudged Treaure
by Arwen Pevensie
Summary: Captain Hook has located a treasure chest beneath the waves near Neverland. What will happen when his crew refuse to retrieve it for fear of the Tick-Tock Croc? Read on to find out! One-shot. Rated K plus for minor crocodile-induced peril. ;)


**Author's Note- So, my sister found this story when were cleaning the other day. I wrote it about five years ago, but she really liked it, so I decided to type it up and put it on here as a one-shot. I've done a little editing, but not much, so keep in mind that I was only about 12-13 when I wrote it. :) Tell me what you think!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Peter Pan. Snake just represents a random member of Hook's crew, whom I named after one of my brother's toy pirates which he owned when I wrote it.**_

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Captain Hook had his men all lined up.

"Alright!" he barked, "which one of my mateys would like to take a nice, cool dive into the beautiful ocean and bring that _treasure chest_ down there up to me?" He stressed the words "treasure chest" as though together they signified the most interesting thing in the world. And, for a pirate, they probably did.

The men shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. Some of them couldn't swim very well, but that wasn't what they were most worried about. And the captain had made it _sound_ nice and all, but still…

Captain Hook interrupted their thoughts suddenly, saying, "What's wrong? Are you letting a little crocodile scare you out of a chest full of gold?"

The pirate crew looked at each other, then at Captain Hook's hook, then at the ocean, and all nodded.

Captain Hook snorted with scorn. "Well, if you won't volunteer, I'll assign the job. Snake, how about you?"

Everyone turned to look at Snake. Snake looked wildly around for some way to escape. There was none. So, he took a deep breath, and jumped off the ship, swimming down toward the treasure. Suddenly, the crocodile came out of nowhere, and tried to get a bite of Snake. He missed, but not by much—he grabbed Snake's shirt in his powerful jaws, and it was quickly ripped apart. Snake swam shirtless to land in five seconds flat, and ran into the undergrowth screaming something about 'rather being killed by Peter Pan and the Lost Boys than be eaten by a crocodile.'

The pirates all watched him go, shuddering in sympathy.

"All right, I can see none of the rest of you want to give it a try yet. If I get rid of the crocodile for you, you'll have to get that chest," said Captain Hook, as he walked over the side of the ship and hung his good hand over it.

"I have a plan that's sure to work. Watch this," Hook said.

Smelling his good hand, the crocodile appeared instantly, and snapped at the Captain's hand. Hook pulled his hand away just in time, and then said, "Well, Mr. Crocodile, I though crocodiles only lived in _fresh_ water. And the only fresh water around here is in the Mermaid's Lagoon. But here you are, living in salt water! What a surprise!"

The crocodile gasped and clutched at his throat, and then took off towards Mermaid's Lagoon.

"There now, I've rid us of the crocodile, at least for a while, and Peter Pan will be kept busy saving the mermaids. Now, any volunteers?" Hook asked again.

The crew was still looking dubious.

"Why you, you're nothing but a pack of chicken hearted—" Hook was interrupted suddenly by Smee, who burst through the doors from the kitchen carrying the Captain's lunch.

"Here you are, Capt'n," said Smee, holding out the tray.

"Ahh, Smee," said Hook, rubbing his hand against his hook in satisfaction. "I'd like you to do me a little favor," he said, putting his hand and hook on Smee's shoulders.

"Yessir. And what favor would that be?" Smee asked.

Hook lead him to the side of the ship, and they looked over the edge together.

"See that chest?" asked Hook.

"Yes, Capt'n," said Smee.

"I need you to go get it for me," said Hook.

"M-m-me?" gulped Smee.

"Yes," said Hook, and he lifted Smee up and threw him into the air above the water.

"Yeeeesss Siiiiir!" cried Smee, saluting as he flew through the air and splashed in the water, head first.

Smee plugged his nose, and swam down to the treasure. The beauty of the coral reef around him made him want to stay and explore, but he didn't want to make the Captain angry. And besides, he was getting tired of holding his breath. So he grabbed the chest, which seemed as light as a feather, and swam up to the surface. When Captain Hook saw him dragging the chest up with him, a greed glint came into his eyes, and he snatched the chest from Smee, not noticing how light it was. He dropped it onto to the deck.

"Yes! Gold, jewels, coins, wealth, all mine!" he cried.

The crew gathered around as Hook opened the chest. When the lid was thrown back, the crew sighed in disappointment. All that the chest contained was a golden-colored dust, and they could tell at once that it wasn't the kind made of a precious metal. The greedy look in the Captain's eyes changed to anger.

"What is this?! I almost lost my good hand for this—this dust?!" he cried, scooping out a handful. He angrily threw the dust into the air, and the wind blew it right toward his crew. Then Hook kicked the chest, and some dust spilled out and blew into his face.

Suddenly, the Captain, and all of the crew but Smee, who was still in the water, floated up into the air.

"This was Pan's doing, I know it!" The captain screamed with rage as the wind carried him away. "I'll get you, Peter Pan, if it's the last thing I do!" Hook's yell faded as he floated farther and farther away, until he was out of sight. Smee climbed back on board the ship as he watched the other crew members float away as well, yelling in confusion.

"Well, I'd better shut this," Smee said, closing the chest, "I guess the Capt'n doesn't know pixie dust when he sees it. Oh well, now that the Capt'n's gotten a little 'carried away,' I think I'll have some lunch." And he sat down and ate the captain's meal.

Moral: Don't count your treasure before you've opened the chest.

The End!

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 **If anyone happens to know the correct spelling of "mateys," please let me know. ;)**


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